Coalgate: CVC gets new complaints

New Delhi:Fresh complaints of alleged irregularities in coal block allocations have been submittedby whistle blowers and public to the CVC, which has sharedsome of these plaints with the CBI.

Sources in the anti-corruption watchdog said thecomplaints received in the past few days claimed criminalconspiracy among certain government officials and privatefirms, who were allocated coal blocks, including theirexecutives.

Representational image.

Besides, sources said, certain unverified governmentdocuments have been sent with a few complaints citingirregularities in the whole process of coal block allocation.

"Some complaints have been received by the Commissionwhich are being looked into. A few of them have been sharedwith the CBI also," a senior CVC official said on condition ofanonymity.

When pressed further, the official said, "The CBI willverify the claims during due course of investigation".In the coal probe, CBI has so far filed seven FIRs against private companies and unknown public officials foralleged misrepresentation of facts and three preliminaryinquiries.

The CVC had in May referred the case of allegedirregularities in the utilisation of coal blocks allocated toprivate companies between 2006 and 2009 to CBI for furtherprobe.

The case was recommended after receiving complaints fromBJP leaders Prakash Javadekar and Hansraj Ahir, who allegedthat first-come-first-serve basis was adopted by thegovernment to benefit some private companies.

The third preliminary inquiry registered by the CBI onSeptember 28 in the alleged coal scam is against unknownpeople for allocation of coal blocks to joint venturecompanies which included a private player.The CBI is also looking into alleged irregularities inthe allocation of coal mines post-1993 during the NDA regime.